Roller hinge constructions

Abstract

A roller hinge assembly for connecting articulating door panels and simultaneously supporting a laterally extending panel support roller assembly includes one or more hinge units each having a male hinge strap and a female hinge strap. The structural integrity of one or more of the hinge units is supplemented by a reinforcing, slotted tubular member fitted over the roller axle support bushing which extends between and simultaneously engages opposed, spaced hinge strap arms. Two or more such hinge units may be arrayed laterally or side by side co-joined by a single hinge pin. Further, to insure appropriate alignment, a single tubular roller bushing may co-join the male or the female hinge units.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A roller hinge assembly for connecting articulating door panels and supporting a laterally extending door panel, support axle, and roller comprising:
 a first and second roller hinge unit, each unit including a male hinge strap and a female hinge strap, said male hinge strap and said female hinge strap each including a generally planar base, each base including a front base edge, a back base edge and first and second spaced, generally parallel, transverse support arms extending from each said base, each arm having an inside face and an outside face; said male strap and said female strap support arms each including generally aligned hinge pintle openings, the support arms of one of said female strap and said male strap further including generally aligned roller axle bushing openings, said male and female strap hinge pintle openings of said first and second roller hinge units axially aligned and said axle bushing openings of said first and second roller hinge units axially aligned, with opposed, abutting support arms; 
 a single pintle extending through the aligned pintle openings, said pintle rotatably maintaining said first and second units joined together and pivotal about a common pintle axis; 
 a generally tubular, roller axle bushing extending through the aligned roller axle bushing openings of at least one of said transverse support arms of at least one hinge unit; and 
 a second generally tubular member fitted over the roller axle bushing and extending generally between the transverse support arms of the at least one hinge unit in substantial simultaneous engagement with the inside face of said support arms of the male hinge strap of the at least one hinge unit. 
 
     
     
       2. The hinge of  claim 1  wherein the roller axle bushing is generally cylindrical and the second tubular roller member is cylindrical with an inside diameter generally equal to the outside diameter of the roller axle bushing. 
     
     
       3. The hinge of  claim 2  wherein the second tubular member includes a slot extending the axial length of the second roller member. 
     
     
       4. The hinge of  claim 3  wherein the slot is a straight axial slot. 
     
     
       5. The hinge of  claim 1  wherein the roller axle bushing includes flanges at the opposite ends thereof fitted against the outside face of said arms. 
     
     
       6. The hinge of  claim 2  wherein the roller axle bushing includes flanges at the opposite ends thereof fitted against the outside face of said arms. 
     
     
       7. The hinge of  claim 3  wherein the roller axle bushing includes flanges at the opposite ends thereof fitted against the outside face of said arms. 
     
     
       8. The hinge of  claim 4  wherein the roller axle bushing includes flanges at the opposite ends thereof fitted against the outside face of said arms. 
     
     
       9. The hinge of  claim 1  further including a roller axle in said roller axle bushing. 
     
     
       10. A roller hinge for connecting articulating door panels and supporting a laterally extending door panel, support axle, and roller comprising:
 a roller hinge unit including a male hinge strap and a female hinge strap, said male hinge strap and said female hinge strap each including a base, each base including a front base edge, a back base edge and first and second spaced, generally parallel, transverse support arms extending from each said base, each arm having an inside face and an outside face; said male strap and 
 female strap support arms each including generally aligned hinge pintle openings, the support arms of one of said female strap and said male strap further including aligned roller axle bushing openings, said male and female strap hinge pintle openings axially aligned and said axle bushing openings axially aligned; 
 a pintle extending through the aligned pintle openings, said pintle pivotally maintaining said straps about a common pintle axis; 
 a generally tubular, roller axle bushing extending through the aligned roller axle bushing openings; and 
 a second generally tubular reinforcing member fitted over the roller axle bushing and 
 extending generally between the transverse support arms in substantial simultaneous engagement with the inside face of said support arms of the male hinge strap. 
 
     
     
       11. A roller hinge assembly for connecting articulating door panels and supporting a laterally extending door panel, support axle, and roller comprising:
 at least a first and second roller hinge unit, each unit including a male hinge strap and a female hinge strap, said male hinge strap and said female hinge strap each including a base, each base including a front base edge, a back base edge and first and second spaced, generally parallel, transverse support arms extending from each said base, each arm having an inside face, said male strap and female strap support arms each including aligned hinge pintle openings, the support arms of one of said female strap and said male strap further including aligned roller axle bushing openings, said male and female strap hinge pintle openings of said first and second roller hinge units generally axially aligned and said axle bushing openings of said first and second roller hinge units generally axially aligned, with opposed abutting support arms; 
 a pintle extending through the aligned pintle openings, said pintle rotatably maintaining said first and second units joined together and pivotal about a common pintle axis; 
 a generally tubular, roller axle bushing extending through the aligned roller axle bushing openings of at least one of said transverse support arms of at least one hinge unit; and 
 a second generally tubular member fitted over the roller axle bushing and extending generally between the transverse support arms of the at least one hinge unit in substantial simultaneous engagement with the inside face of said support arms of the male hinge strap of the at least one hinge unit. 
 
     
     
       12. The roller hinge assembly of  claim 11  wherein the roller axle bushing is a single roller axle bushing extending through the aligned roller axle bushing openings of the first and second hinge units. 
     
     
       13. The roller hinge assembly of  claim 1  wherein the units are adjacent with the bushing openings in the female hinge straps and wherein one arm of each said female strap abuts one arm of the adjacent female hinge strap. 
     
     
       14. The roller hinge assembly of  claim 11  wherein the units are adjacent with the bushing openings in the female hinge straps and wherein one arm of each said female strap abuts one arm of the adjacent female hinge strap. 
     
     
       15. The roller hinge assembly of  claim 12  wherein the units are adjacent with the bushing openings in the female hinge straps and wherein one arm of each said female strap abuts one arm of the adjacent female hinge strap.